Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 73-6vs Bethune-Cookman | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 7-12@ Pittsburgh | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#8
Demari Henderson
Senior defensive back on UCF's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 185 lb · Sanford, FL · Seminole
CFB Index 59 · #190 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to UCF for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
3★
S recruit
No. 623 nationally · Signed with UCF
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on UCF's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to UCF in 2022.
Demari Henderson
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Demari Henderson has played for two head coaches in five seasons at UCF. In 2023 the league put his name on paper for the first time: Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. The receipt on tape: 6 tackles, 1 TFL against Pittsburgh, Week 2, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20225 games
- Signed with UCF3-star out of Seminole
202512 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
UCF
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coaches2022–2024
UCF
Coaching transition mid-career: Gus Malzahn → Scott Frost. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022UCF9-5HC: Gus Malzahn · Run-leaning, fast tempo
2023UCF6-7HC: Gus Malzahn · Run-leaning
2024UCF4-8HC: Gus Malzahn · Run-heavy
2025UCF5-7HC: Scott Frost · Balanced
2026UCF1-1HC: Scott Frost · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 3.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Scott Frost
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
59 · #190 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #190 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #20 of 42 Big 12 DBs
How the All-Big 12 estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 73–6
1 TOT
Dominant 67-point win at home against Bethune-Cookman.
With T. Swint — 48 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD · A. Barnett — 158 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 46.9 · 9 rush yds (5 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
UCF
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · UCF
Returning around him
- 1 UCF player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -3 net (32 in / 35 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
UCF · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #66 · 2026 recruiting class #66
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Quadric Bullard’s 2024 season.
86%match
Matches Quadric on
Height
PD rate
TFL rate
Differs from Quadric on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Alex Odom's senior season at Temple (2023).
Matches Alex on
Class year
PD rate
TFL rate
Differs from Alex on
Weight (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Demari Henderson
The secondary · UCF
- #8Demari Henderson61 tackles · 2025
- #7Antoine Jackson39 tackles · 2025
- #1Jayden Bellamy27 tackles · 2025
- #4Braeden Marshall22 tackles · 2025
- #5DJ Bell17 tackles · 2025
14 more on the roster · UCF team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology